By Hazel Scott/ASU
The President’s Tour is back! President Quinton T. Ross, Jr., and the campus road team will be “on the road again” from February 28 to March 4 and on March 8, inviting you to Take a Closer Look at ASU and its degree programs! The Tour also will include two new items, a new tour city and a new scholarship.
“The pandemic severely limited our opportunities to engage potential students in face-to-face activities; so, we are excited to bring back the President’s Tour, one of the University’s most successful and innovative recruiting initiatives. As we travel to different cities, we will observe health safety measures while giving high school students a chance to see what ASU has to offer,” said President Quinton T. Ross, Jr.
Ross noted that because health and safety are top priorities, the tour will not include alumni receptions or signing historical MOU agreements with area community colleges.
What is returning is the hallmark of the President's Tour -- scholarships. Students attending the tour will have a chance to qualify for scholarships; some will be awarded on-the-spot scholarships.
A new scholarship titled the “President’s Promise Scholarship” will be awarded to assist out-of-state students.
“We will give the President’s Promise Scholarship to anyone who meets our qualifications. Awardees must have at least a 2.75 GPA, be enrolled full time at ASU and be from out-of-state to be eligible for that scholarship. The scholarship is valued at $8,328 annual, with students receiving half in the fall and the other half in the spring semesters,” said Freddie Williams, Jr., Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management/Director Admissions and Recruitment.
Williams said the tour provides an opportunity to discover what ASU has to offer, especially for students who can’t make an in-person visit to campus.
“That’s why we are happy to be able to bring Alabama State University to high school students across Alabama and other states so they can learn about the vast opportunities ASU can provide,” Williams said.
The road team of faculty, staff and recruitment advisers will board the bus early Monday morning (Feb. 28) headed to Georgia to visit high school students and their parents. The next tour stops will be in Bessemer and Birmingham on March 1, Tuscaloosa and Eutaw on March 2, Montgomery on March 3, and Pensacola, Florida on (March 4). The tour will end in Atlanta on March 8.
“Pensacola is a new area that we included this year. This is the first time we’ll take the bus to Florida. Also, in addition to our regular visit to Atlanta, we are going back that following week on March 8 to partner with the superintendent of the Atlanta City Schools. So, we will roll into Georgia twice this year,” Williams added.
Ross said the tour will leave an important message when the team “buzzes through” the scheduled cities.
“I want everyone to know that 'It’s a Great Time to Be a Hornet!' There are a great many things that make our institution special: our rich history and traditions, our beautiful campus, and, most importantly, our commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education to our students,” Ross emphasized.